A DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATIC ADJUSTING, ACCORDING TO THE PRESSURE, OF THE LENGTH OF THE CONNECTION ROPE BETWEEN A BUOY AND A SKIN-DIVER

Abstract: The device for the automatic adjusting, according to the pressure, of the length of the connection rope between a buoy and a skin-diver comprises a means (1) for winding and unwinding a rope (C) for the connection between a floating buoy and an immersed skin-diver, for determining the automatic adjusting of its length following to the indications supplied by a sensor (6) for the taking of the pressure, provided on the skin-diver himself or on his spear gun or on any other housing. The information about the reached depth is transmitted to said means (1) by means of an emitter (4) of acoustic waves with a relative receiver (5) or, in a variant, by means of electric impulses through an electric cable (8) for the connection between a skin-diver and a buoy (B).

Description: "A DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATIC ADJUSTING, ACCORDING TO THE PRESSURE, OF THE LENGTH OF THE CONNECTION ROPE BETWEEN A BUOY AND A SKIN-DIVER" The present invention concerns a device for the automatic adjusting, according to the pressure, of the length of the connection rope between a buoy and a skin-diver. The present invention takes its origin from the need to take the exact position of skin-divers with repect to the floating indicator buoy, so as to reduce the dangers deriving from incidents caused by arriving floating means. At present, the connection rope between said buoy and the skin-diver has always the same length, thus representing only the limit of the reciprocal distance. It is the aim of the present invention to determine the unwinding of a wound-up rope and therefore its differential elongation according to the taking of the hydrostatic pressure reached by the immersed skin-diver. The aim set forth is reached by means of the device according to the present invention, comprising a winding and unwinding means for the connection rope between a floating buoy and an immersed skin-diver, so as to determine the automatic adjusting of its length following to the indications supplied by a pressure measuring sensor, provided on said skin-diver or on his spear gun or in any other housing. Of course, the device for unwinding the rope may be provided, according to the present invention, in correspondence with the buoy, and in that case the connection with the pressure sensor is realized with an acoustic emitter, of the sonar kind, or by means of an electrical connection obtained inside said rope, or said device - in a possible variant - may be carried by the skin-diver, may be applied to the spear gun or in any other place. The present invention will be explained more in detail hereinbelow according to the enclosed drawings, in which some preferred embodiments are shown. Figure 1 shows a scheme of a device for the automatic adjusting, according to the hydrostatic pressure, of the length of the connection rope between a buoy and a skin-diver. Figure 2 shows a block scheme of the functioning of the device according to the present invention. Figures 3 and 4 show some possible variants of the device according to the present invention. The figures show a device for the automatic adjusting, according to the pressure, of the length of the connection rope between a buoy and a skin-diver, of the kind that can be inserted during the realization into floating buoys B of new kind, or also applied to the lower ring of already existing buoys B, comprising: a mechanism 1 for winding and unwnding a rope C, that can supply the length of the rope according to the values of the hydrostatic pressure taken by a sensor 2 inserted inside a watch or carried by the immersed skin- diver; - an electric motor 3, or of any other kind, for the operating of the mechanism 1; - an acoustic receiver 5 for taking, through the liquid means, the waves coming from the emitter 4, connected to the skin-diver; - an emitter 4 of acoustic waves for transmitting the informations coming from the pressure sensor 6; - a pressure sensor 6 for transforming the measure of the depth reached by the skin-diver into hydrostatic pressure values. In the block scheme shown in figure 2 the device according to the present invention comprises, beyond the already mentioned details, an electric battery BA, a counter 9 of the recolutions of the electric motor 3 and a circuit 10 for the comparation between the depth and the revolution number so that the values of the hydrostatic pressure taken by the sensor 6 are translated, in real time, into the winding or unwinding of predetermined lengths of the rope C. In the variant according to figure 3 said pressure sensor 6, through the transducer 7, sends an electric impulse which, passing through the cable 8, reaches the motor 3 connected to the buoy B, thus determining the winding or unwinding of the rope C, according to the taken pressure. In the variant according to figure 4 - which certainly is the less comfortable and practical, as all elements are provided onto the skin-diver 2 or on his instruments - the rope c is connected at one end with the buoy B and at the other end it will be unwound according to deeper immersion of the skin-diver.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A device for the automatic adjusting, according to the pressure, of the length of the connection rod between a buoy and a skin-diver, characterized in: a mechanism (1) for winding and unwinding a rope (C), that suplies the length of the rope according to the values of the hydrostatic pressure taken by a sensor (2) inserted in a watch, or however carried by the skin-diver; an electric motor (3) or of any other kind, for the operating of the mechanism (1) ; an acoustic receiver (5) for taking, through the liquid means, the waves coming from the emitter (4), connected to the skin-diver; an emitter (4) of acoustic waves for transmitting the informations coming from the pressure sensor (6); a pressure sensor (6) for transforming the measure of the depth reached by the skin-diver into hydrostatic pressure values. 2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in an electric battery (BA), a counter (9) of the revolutions of the electric motor (3) and a circuit (10) for comparing the depth and the revolution number, so that the values of the hydrostatic pressure taken by the sensor (6) will be translated in real time in the unwinding or winding of predetermined lengths of the rope (c). 3. A device according to claim 1, of the kind provided with electrical transmission of the values taken by the pressure sensor (6) to the motor (3), characterized in the presence of an electric cable (8) inserted in the rope (C). 4. A device according to claim 1 characterized in that all components are provided onto the skin-diver or on his instruments and that the rope (C) is connected to one end of the buoy (B) and the other one gets unwound following to the immersion of the skin-diver.

Inventors: DI STEFANO FRANCESCO, DI STEFANO, FRANCESCO
Applicants: STEFANO FRANCESCO DI, DI STEFANO, FRANCESCO
Application year: 1994
Main classification: B63C11
IPC codes: B63C11